+ Easy to find the edge
+ Quick edge change
+ Pop - just right. It helps you out of the turn, great for the little jump between the carves.
+ Flex - the board is easy to flex and it's easy to change the radius of the turn while riding
+ Turn radius - easy to control, perfect for shorter blue and red runs as well as crowded slopes
+ Feels really light on the feet
+ Makes good trenches in the snow
+ It allows relaxed casual riding

What I don't like:
- Torsional stiffness - Raptor does not hold the perfect edge on the steep black runs.
- Too narrow - I've booted out in few turns, specially on the steeps. When I have the opportunity, I'll try the Raptor X model.

Summary:
Great, if you want to take a single board on a family skiing trip. It is truly one of most versatile boards around.
For soft-boot carving on groomed slopes - Raptor is OK, but there are better boards.

Great to see actual carves (trenches) by someone talking about carving (an inflationary used term). Gonna borrow one of your pics from time to time

I think I stumbled over one of your takes on the Coal as well... which leads me want to stress one little detail that is a bit hidden in your review and of which I think is a very nice + of the Raptor: very nice dampening in uneven terrain/crud.

I think I stumbled over one of your takes on the Coal as well... which leads me want to stress one little detail that is a bit hidden in your review and of which I think is a very nice + of the Raptor: very nice dampening in uneven terrain/crud.

Thanks Neni,

Didn't test it in those conditions - can't tell. I only mention stuff i actually KNOW about. Real pictures, real riding. I never read the marketing blah blah before testing boards and even if I do - I do not take it seriously...

I hope to get more time on Raptor soon and test it in other conditions. We're having a difficult winter around here...

Great review Canmanski and pics. Awesome to see someone railing turns like that. I especially love the 3rd picture with the swooping heelside carve line.

Funny you mentioned that, you were on the same page as us. Everything you don't like about the Raptor we've addressed with our new Chairman.

-"Torsional stiffness - Raptor does not hold the perfect edge on the steep black runs." By adding a massive Carbon X (heel to toe) in the mid-section of the board on top of the core and long Carbon V's on the bottom, the Chairman is stiffer torsionally and holds an edge better in a long turn and the steeps than a Rpator.
- "Too narrow - I've booted out in few turns, specially on the steeps. When I have the opportunity, I'll try the Raptor X model." Even with an 8.5 someone carving hard as you do will boot out, imagine someone riding a regular width board with a 10.5 or 11. We increased the width even on the on all sizes of the chairman. I was one to never ride wider boards being under the assumption that they are sluggish edge to edge and I ride an forward angled stance. With agile feel of Rocker/Camber combined with the progressive verison of Vario Power Grip Sidecut on the Chairman I don't need the narrower board for quick response and have the extra width to eliminate booting out in a hard heel side carve.

Great review Canmanski and pics. Awesome to see someone railing turns like that. I especially love the 3rd picture with the swooping heelside carve line.

Funny you mentioned that, you were on the same page as us. Everything you don't like about the Raptor we've addressed with our new Chairman.

-"Torsional stiffness - Raptor does not hold the perfect edge on the steep black runs." By adding a massive Carbon X (heel to toe) in the mid-section of the board on top of the core and long Carbon V's on the bottom, the Chairman is stiffer torsionally and holds an edge better in a long turn and the steeps than a Rpator.
- "Too narrow - I've booted out in few turns, specially on the steeps. When I have the opportunity, I'll try the Raptor X model." Even with an 8.5 someone carving hard as you do will boot out, imagine someone riding a regular width board with a 10.5 or 11. We increased the width even on the on all sizes of the chairman. I was one to never ride wider boards being under the assumption that they are sluggish edge to edge and I ride an forward angled stance. With agile feel of Rocker/Camber combined with the progressive verison of Vario Power Grip Sidecut on the Chairman I don't need the narrower board for quick response and have the extra width to eliminate booting out in a hard heel side carve.

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Vince,

Super stoked on the Chairman, (and its split cousin.)

Any reason for the size jump from 164 to 173? I am really considering going to larger decks after spending some time on my 166 Blaho bros split. I know you will have more sizes in the wide option, but I would love to get a Chairman in the 166-169 size range (reg width). I think a lot of riders who want a board like this with the larger sidecut and directional profile would also prefer something in that size range.

Given the larger sidecut, doesn't that increase the waist width automatically, all other things being equal? (aka the Furberg effect) I notice the tip and tail widths are relatively narrow. Are the underfoot widths similar to previous models?

Didn't test it in those conditions - can't tell. I only mention stuff i actually KNOW about. Real pictures, real riding. I never read the marketing blah blah before testing boards and even if I do - I do not take it seriously...

I hope to get more time on Raptor soon and test it in other conditions. We're having a difficult winter around here...